Florida failing its students, report says

The state ranks 31st in the likelihood that pupils will become successful adults.

January 4, 2007|By Dave Weber, Sentinel Staff Writer

A day after new Gov. Charlie Crist pledged to make the state's public schools "not only the best in the country, but the best in the world," a national report released Wednesday outlined how far Florida falls short of that goal.

Florida ranks 31st among the states in the likelihood that its children will perform well in school and move on to successful lives as adults, according to Education Week newspaper's annual Quality Counts report.

Undereducated parents, low family income and middling school grades are among the factors that undercut a Florida child's chance for success, according to the report.

Despite improvements in recent years, the state also ranks 31st in the nation for academic achievement of its students, the report concluded.

Although Florida fourth-graders performed above national averages in reading and math on recent tests, eighth-graders trailed others from across the country. The state also lags in closing the achievement gap between poor and more affluent children, the report found.

State Education Commissioner John Winn reacted quickly to the report, calling a news conference to amplify the accomplishments of Florida schools and put their shortcomings in context. Winn especially was concerned over the report's poor prognosis for success of Florida students.

"This does not mean that any child in the state of Florida has a better or worse chance of succeeding in school or in the work force or in life," he said.

A Crist spokeswoman acknowledged later that the schools aren't up to his standards and that he hopes to improve them by raising teacher pay and adding reading coaches at all schools.

"The governor will work to ensure that all students have a quality education," said Erin Isaac, his press secretary.

Florida schools performed better in two other categories the publication examined, ranking 11th nationally in how well it aligns its educational policies from preschool through college and fourth in setting tough educational-accountability standards.

The state's system of annual testing and school grades was the pride of former Gov. Jeb Bush, Crist's predecessor.

Each year the national newspaper for educators assesses different aspects of education in America's public schools. The reports are respected by education leaders across the country because of their research base and careful analysis of data. Funding comes from the Pew Center on the States, a division of the Pew Charitable Trusts.

`Leaky pipeline' from birth to work

In past years the report focused on what elementary, middle and high schools were doing to prepare students. This year it also looked at factors affecting students before they start elementary school and after they leave high school.

"What we have in America is a leaky pipeline all along the education continuum from cradle to career," said Lynn Olson, editor of the Quality Counts project. "The pipeline is leakiest for our most significantly growing population of young people, those from low-income families and minority groups."

Florida ranked below the national average for family income, educational attainment of adults, high-school graduation and percent of students in college, along with several others of 13 indicators based mainly on Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Education data.

Virginia ranked first and New Mexico last among the states. Other poor performers were largely strung across the South and Sun Belt from Georgia to California, with higher performers in the Northeast and Midwest.

Of particular concern to Florida, the report said, is the large number of students --18 percent -- whose parents don't speak fluent English. Only New York, California, Texas and Arizona have more. Those parents often have difficulty communicating with schools and can't help their children with courses taught in English.

The report argues that demographics, such as family income and education of parents, affect what a child achieves in school. Recognizing and addressing those differences early through pre-school programs, such as the one Florida started last year, and other efforts can offer more opportunities for more students, authors of the report said.

Others say everyone has an equal chance of success in Florida schools.

"Our curriculum meets the needs of all students," said Bill Vogel, superintendent of the high-scoring Seminole County schools. "One of the reasons we have been so successful is we focus on all students."

`Our children are blessed' in Seminole

But some Seminole parents agree with the idea that wealth, education and good jobs give children from some families a leg up on students from poorer backgrounds.

"Our children are blessed in this county, as many do come from homes which do encourage them and stand behind them," said Robin Radvak, who lives near Longwood.

Winn said he was pleased that the report showed Florida was making progress in academic achievement. But he questioned some of the data used to rank the state 31st, particularly citing figures for high-school graduation.

The Quality Counts study listed a 57.7 percent high-school-graduation rate for Florida. Winn said the state's more exact count, which follows each student through school, points to the 71.9 percent graduation rate he announced last month.

Winn said the report accurately pointed out low achievement of middle- and high-school students, but said the schools are working to improve student test scores. In addition, better-educated elementary students are expected to get higher scores as they move through the school system, he said.